Fire Dispatcher Trainee

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: TYPING CERTIFICATE

If you have a typing certificate with a net typing speed of 40 words per minute from a temporary agency, employment agency, or community college, printed on letterhead with the address and phone number of the agency or college, please upload it to your online application (under the resume tab) by 5:00 p.m. on the last day for filing. The typing certificate must be dated within six (6) months of the filing deadline.

To obtain a typing certificate, you may wish to contact East Bay Works - Career Centers. Click on the following link, and go to the "locations" tab to locate a center near you: www.eastbayworks.com/

Applications will only be accepted on-line.

DESCRIPTION

THE AGENCY

THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT (ACFD) provides all-risk emergency services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County (excluding Fairview), the cities of San Leandro, Dublin, Newark, Union City and Emeryville, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. With 29 fire stations and 35 companies serving a population of 394,000, the ACFD serves densely populated urban areas, waterways, industrialized centers, extensive urban interface, agricultural and wildland regions. Over 400 personnel and 100 Reserve Firefighters provide a wide variety of services to an ever expanding, dynamic and diverse community of roughly 508 square miles. These services include:

Advanced Life Support

Fire Suppression

Hazardous Materials Response

Urban Search & Rescue

Water Rescue

Community Outreach & Education

Disaster Preparedness

Fire Prevention and Code Compliance

Regional Dispatch Center

The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) was formed on July 1, 1993 as a dependent special district with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors as its governing body. This consolidation brought together into a single jurisdiction the Castro Valley Fire Department, Eden Consolidated Fire Protection District and County Fire Patrol.

Subsequently, the following communities have contracted with the ACFD:

July 1, 1995 City of San Leandro

July 1, 1997 City of Dublin

August 1, 2002 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

October 1, 2007 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

May 1, 2010 City of Newark

July 1, 2010 City of Union City

July 1, 2012 City of Emeryville

On January 20, 2008, the ACFD became responsible for the administration and operation of the Alameda County Regional Emergency Communications Center (ACRECC). The dispatch center provides dispatch and regional communication center services for the ACFD, the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency, Camp Parks Combat Support Training Center, and the cities of Alameda, Fremont, Livermore and Pleasanton. ACRECC is also the Dispatch/System Status Management Center for Paramedics Plus ambulance service.

THE POSITION

Under close supervision, to receive training in public safety, emergency call taking and radio-dispatching methods and techniques; to dispatch personnel and equipment for one or more public safety agencies, including Fire and Emergency Medical Services; and to perform related work as required.

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will have some knowledge of public safety and be aware of the Fire Dispatcher Trainee position and what it entails.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Graduation from high school or possession of an acceptable equivalency certificate, such as the General Educational Development Certificate.

License:

All candidates must possess a valid California State Motor Vehicle Operator's license.

Special Requirements:

Age: Must be at least 18 years of age by time of appointment to Dispatcher Trainee.

Typing: Ability to type 40 words per minute.

Candidates must pass a psychological evaluation, a medical examination and a thorough background evaluation after an offer of employment is made. A Computer Voice Stress Analyzer examination will also be included in the process to assess candidates’ responses in the areas of drug use, driving history, honesty, racial discrimination, and sexual harassment. Any felony conviction will result in disqualification. Candidates must be US citizens.

Incumbents in this classification are expected to work 12-hour shifts, and may also be required to work holidays, weekends and up to 18-hour shifts when needed. There is mandatory overtime.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• The highways, main streets, and geography of Alameda County.
• Simple record keeping tools such as Microsoft Word and Excel.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

The examination will consist of the following steps:

A review of candidates' application to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to further screen for minimum qualifications. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

A Performance Examination which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating of each portion of this examination.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

**WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN**

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

BENEFITS

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.